Gina could sure suck the party atmosphere from a room. At least for Jill.
Forget her! Enjoy the others. You have no claim on Chet. No right to be jealous.
She coughed. Jealous?
“Congrats, Jill. To another perfect meal.” Chet lifted his wine glass, and everyone else joined in to give her a toast.
“Thank you.” Could her skin stand any more heat without bursting into flames?
Jill smiled at his guests around the table as they drank from their glasses, but noticed Gina didn’t join in on the toast. Too busy dragging her fingers over Chet’s arm to lift a glass?
“How about coffee and dessert on the terrace?” Chet stood, dislocating Gina’s grip. The others around the table followed.
“I’ll bring everything out in a few minutes.” Jill smiled and rose, straightening the slim belt at her waist against the flared skirt of her dress.
Chet moved to her side and laid his arm over her shoulders, giving her a quick squeeze. Gina’s eyes hardened as he moved his fingers along the bare skin of Jill’s shoulders.
“You did excellent tonight. I see Collette has plans for your catering services.” Chet’s tenor sent scorching rockets through Jill’s veins. She couldn’t manage more than a smile and nod.
“Want some help cleaning up?” Chet asked.
She licked her lips and found her voice. “No, you have your guests to—”
“I’ll help Jill. It’ll give us some time for lady talk. We haven’t chatted all evening.” Gina smiled at her, but the tense lines around her lips didn’t disappear. “I might have to pick her brain for a ladies’ brunch I’m hosting in a few months.”
Jill hadn’t noticed Gina leap over the table, but there was no other explanation for how quickly she crossed the room. Again the woman stroked Chet’s sleeve, and when she turned her smile toward him, it dazzled. Her gaze sank into Chet like he was a lone fish in a tank full of sharks. And she was queen shark.
“Please, I’m able to clean up on my own. Join the others.” Jill had no desire to be alone with the woman. And even less desire to organize a brunch for her.
“No, I insist.” Gina glared at Jill. “This is a lot of cleanup for one person.”
Jill doubted Gina would offer much help. From the looks of her perfect manicure she’d probably never been in a kitchen, unless she’d stumbled into one by accident.
Chet’s brow furrowed. Had Gina’s offer surprised him as well?
The other guests disappeared through the arch, walking down the hall and into the sitting room that led to the back patio overlooking the pool. Jill would deliver their dessert and coffee from the side entrance through the kitchen.
“Coffee and cake in twenty. Good?” Jill smiled, begging Chet with her eyes to take his guest with him.
Come on psychic powers, don’t fail him now.
“Perfect. I’ll leave you ladies to it then.”
As he walked out of the room, part of her wanted to run after him. She didn’t look forward to trying to make small talk with this woman.
Jill hiked up her big girl pants, squared her shoulders, and began clearing the table. There was no need to talk, just get the job done. If Gina really stayed behind to help, then she would.
On her third trip into the kitchen from the dining room, Jill tossed Gina an annoyed glare.
Gina had followed Jill into the kitchen, empty-handed, on the first trip and leaned her hip against the counter. From there she hadn’t moved. Each time Jill came back into the kitchen, laden down with an armful of dishes, the other woman studied the kitchen as if she visited a foreign land and didn’t speak the language.
Enough of her nonexistent help. Jill grabbed a storage container and turned to Gina. “If you want to help, how about you spoon the leftover potatoes into this container and put it in the fridge.”
Gina puckered her lips, thinning her cheeks even more than they already were. “Do you really think I stayed behind to help?”
“That’s what you told Chet, wasn’t it?”
“I think you and I both know why I stayed.”
“Sorry, I have no clue and no time to figure it out.” She opened the container herself and went to work.
“What’s your game?”
Jill couldn’t believe this. Were all rich people so paranoid? This echoed her first conversation with Chet, but she doubted at the end of this conversation Gina would be offering her any type of job, help, or friendship. If anything, she seemed to want to ban Jill from the universe. Chet’s universe.
“Listen, Mrs.—”
“Gina.”
“Listen, Gina. I don’t have time to play twenty questions. Get to the point. I obviously rub you the wrong way. I can see that.”
“I don’t know how you got your foot in the door as Chet’s personal live-in cook, but I don’t want you to end up getting hurt.”
“How kind.” Pigs would fly over a frozen Hell before this woman would be concerned for anyone else’s well-being.
“I see how you look at him. How your eyes go all soft and you melt whenever he throws you a look or a compliment.”
“Hmmm.” Not much else to say. Gina must be able to translate and decipher googly eyes. Jill hadn’t meant to let her emotions show so easily. So not good. Not good that Gina could see it, and not good that Jill had shown it.
“I’m being nice, Jill.” The barracuda’s voice softened. “I don’t want to see anyone get hurt. I’ve seen too many of Chet’s…women walk out of his life with their hearts in their hands.”
Jill could only imagine. Was this lady the Gina—the one from Chet’s past? If so, that’d explain her familiarity with him and the fact that she seemed to know so much about his personal life.
“Who exactly are you? And why do you care?”
“Let’s just say Chet and I have a past.”
Aha, question answered. Jill bit her lip to stop from laughing.
“You’re married, aren’t you?” Jill turned to open the fridge.
“I am, but it’s been over for years. Chet and I have a long history, one that links us for life.”
“Yeah, really?” Jill held the fridge door open with her hip as she organized the leftovers inside.
“Yes, really. Years ago Chet and I were engaged.”
Whoa, a load of bricks settled in Jill’s stomach. To admit who this woman was to herself was one thing, but to hear Gina say it aloud made all their knowing glances and intimate touches replay in her mind. What it didn’t explain was the ache filling Jill’s chest.
“What happened?” Not sure if she really wanted to know, she couldn’t stop the question.
“I’ll give you the short version. Chet had some issues with my past. He broke it off. Shortly afterward, I met Howard and we married. It was then Chet realized his mistake and that he still loved me. He forgave me my past and we have plans to reunite.”
“Then what’s the holdup? Divorce your husband and get on with it.” She said the words like she didn’t care, but that know-it-all inner voice of hers screamed liar.
“There is more involved than just getting a quickie divorce, like you say.”
Jill could only imagine. But why drag it out for so long? More than likely it had something to do with Howard’s bank balance. A sick feeling filled her. Bad rolled off this woman in waves, and it broke Jill’s heart that Chet might still care for her. After all, he hadn’t stopped her advances. Had he left them alone together so Barracuda could clue Jill in and cement that their day in the pool was nothing more than a leisure-time swim, even though he’d have agreed to a few more dips? Was this his way of telling her that he still cared for Gina?
“I’ve never expected Chet to curb his sexual urges. After all, I still have to suffer through Howard’s.” Her tinny laughter was poignant. “So, I’ve turned the other cheek all these years while he indulges his lust.”
“But when things start looking too cozy, you step in to set the record straight? Kind of like a guardian of broken h
earts?” Jill choked down her disgust. Who was this lady trying to fool? She was interested in looking out for number one. And that number was stitched across her chest, accented with a laser light show.
Gina smiled the first real smile Jill’d seen. “Exactly.”
Jill’s heart cracked. Chet wouldn’t do that, would he? No way could he sit in a room with Howard and hold a conversation with him, all the while having an affair with his wife. She might not know him well, but she knew him well enough not to believe this. Right?
With a quick mental shake, she refocused. This wasn’t her concern. She was here to get business contacts. Nothing more. One sexual escapade in the pool didn’t make a relationship or give her the right to judge Chet, Gina, or anyone else. She’d better remember that.
“You have no worries on my account.” Or did she? “Now that I’m in on the secret, I’ll make sure to keep my distance.” And she meant it. They were all grown-ups, and though she found it hard to believe what Gina told her, she didn’t want to get mixed up in their twisted game. Better to play dumb and blind. Keep your eye on the prize. The prize being contacts for her catering business, not her boss.
“Good. I knew you’d be a smart girl.”
Wow, was that Barracuda’s failed attempt at a compliment?
“You should reconsider your…job here. Things are coming to a head with my husband, and I might move in with Chet sooner than expected. And when I do, the only cooking under this roof will be in the bedroom.” She leveled a glance at Jill as if she were a bucket of trash in a back alley.
“So, you’ll be eating out then?”
“I said you’re smart, I don’t need to know you have a sense of humor.” Gina straightened from the counter and fluffed her blond tresses.
Maybe this would be the opening Jill needed with Chet. She could suggest moving out—maybe she could hole up with Mel and Jared for a few weeks—so she could distance herself from her attractive boss, but still work for him on a day-to-day basis, driving in when needed.
Instead, so as not to give Gina the upper hand she desired, she replied, “You’ll have to take up my departure with Chet then. We have an agreement, an eight-week agreement. I’m not jeopardizing our deal by leaving unless he tells me to.”
The woman’s face fell, but she recovered quickly. “What type of deal?”
Odd. If they were as close as Gina suggested, she should know all about their deal. “Not my place to tell. Talk with Chet.” She’d leave it at that. “Now, excuse me. If we’re finished, I need to get dessert and coffee to the guests.”
“Fine. Now that we’re clear, I’ll join them.” Gina exited the room, taking the stench of her designer boutique cologne with her. Her heels hammered into the wooden floor. Jill waited until she was out of sight before she steadied herself by gripping the edge of the counter with one hand.
Jill sucked in a lungful of air. She felt like she’d just fought an alligator with nothing but a toothpick. To mess with Gina would be a scary thing. Jill had no desire to irritate this woman any more than she already had. If she could block her out of tonight’s dinner, she would.
As for Chet, she didn’t know what to think. Jill found his boyish charms disarming. Like her, he’d grown up middle class; unlike her he’d become wealthy. She’d felt a kinship. She liked and respected him. Was he having an affair with a woman married to one of his associates? Could she have gotten him all wrong?
Sex sure confused things. Jealousy, green-eyed and strong, gripped her heart, even though she told herself she had no right to feel this way.
Jill shook her head to clear her jumbled thoughts. Good to know she could still get all hot and bothered. If only she could crush her Chet-appetite and hone her senses on a man who’d be right for her, because Chet Castle wasn’t that man, no matter what Mel said.
Her future wouldn’t be filled with sexy, billionaire bachelors who lived in mansions and drove exotic cars and smelled of sandalwood. Daydreams and fantasies needed to be checked at the door, because right now she had to put on her party face, pour some coffee, and cut cake.
Chapter Twelve
Gina had sat through most of the business talk with a pout the size of Texas protruding from her bottom lip—unless Chet happened to look in her direction, and then her face lit up like the Vegas strip at midnight. Jill didn’t know how much more she could take.
“Dessert was a fabulous end to a delicious meal, Jill.” Collette rose from the patio table. “I think I could use a walk around the garden to burn off all the calories I consumed. Anyone care to join me?”
“Sounds lovely.” Gina stood, boredom overtaking her features the minute Chet’s attention turned toward his male guests.
“Let me put the dessert away and clean up a bit and I’ll join you.” Jill piled several plates on the cart along with the leftover cake.
“Leave it for later.” Collette held out her hand.
“I’ll only be a few minutes. I’d like to get the leftovers in the fridge.”
“Promise us you won’t worry about cleaning up until after we’re gone.” Gina smirked, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.
“Promise.” Jill hoped the smile she delivered didn’t come off as crusty as it felt.
Less than five minutes later she made her way back out to the deck and smiled at the men as they sat around finishing the last of their drinks and talking about the latest baseball game.
Jill maneuvered the several steps to the grassy level below and moved toward the sound of voices. As she neared the back garden she stopped in her tracks.
“You were certainly sending kudos where none were deserved, Collette. I can’t believe you enjoyed that woman’s cooking.”
“That woman has a name. Jill,” Collette reprimanded.
“Whatever. I’ve eaten better at a greasy spoon.”
“Actually, I’ve eaten at some amazing ‘greasy spoons’ as you call it. Jill is a very talented cook. Quit letting your bitterness show, Gina. It’s very unbecoming.”
“I think you should reconsider about using her to cater the luncheon. There’s no way she can handle that job. She doesn’t even have her catering business up and running.” Gina’s voice rose in a desperate pitch, as if she needed to convince Collette with whatever means possible that Jill wasn’t right for the job.
“I disagree. I think because she is new and starting out, she’ll work that much harder. Plus, I like her. I like her cooking. And I respect Chet’s judgment. If he trusts her enough to book her for the fund-raising season, that speaks mouthfuls.”
Jill smiled at Collette’s kind words. She’d felt an instant kinship to the older woman and was glad to know her instincts about Gina and Collette had been right. One bad and one good. She gathered her breath and made her presence known.
“Sorry, ladies. That little bit of cleanup took me longer than expected.” Jill’s heart quit racing when Collette stepped forward to tuck her arm through Jill’s as they rounded the final path in the garden.
“I’m so excited to work with you on the luncheon, dear.” Collette patted her hand, and the warmth did Jill’s confidence good.
“I’m honored you have so much faith in me.” Jill smiled from the older woman to Gina. She hoped Barracuda got the message that’d she’d overheard their conversation.
After their walk, Jill retreated to the kitchen to finish cleaning up. She made sure to take her time so that she didn’t have to return to the patio and sit in Gina’s company any longer than needed. After the conversation she’d overheard between Gina and Collette, Jill’s anger boiled beneath the surface until she wanted to explode. She feared if she stayed any longer she’d say something she’d regret.
A little more than an hour had passed and she heard several of the guests making their departure. The mustached man and his wife, along with Collette and her husband, had poked their heads into the kitchen to thank her again for a wonderful dinner.
The evening over, Jill poured herself a small glass of wine a
nd downed it in one swallow before making her way out the side door to walk the gardens. She hoped to avoid Chet until she got her thoughts in order regarding all she’d learned from Gina tonight. First her story about Chet—could it possibly be true?—and then hearing the barracuda bad mouth her in an attempt to ruin her business before she’d even booked her first job.
The noises of crickets and other tiny creatures mingled with a light breeze. The dull throb in her head—signaling a doozy of a headache if she didn’t de-stress—melted away. She breathed in a large dose of air and sighed, stopping along the path to linger over the wonderful lilac bushes in the back of the garden.
“Fancy meeting you here.” Chet’s voice came from behind, and she spun around, heart in throat.
“Y-you scared me.” She covered her chest with her palm. Chet sat on a small bench hidden in the shadows of a large weeping willow.
“I’m sorry, but I knew no matter what I said, or how I said it, I’d scare you. And I thought you’d prefer me saying something in lieu of sneaking up on you.”
“True.” He was the last person she wanted to see right now. She felt too out of sync to hold a normal conversation. And she wasn’t ready to confront him—or even sure she had any right to confront him. Maybe she should just tell him what Gina said and listen to his side. But what if it were true, she’d come off looking like…like someone sticking her nose in where it didn’t belong. She was the cook. Here for one reason, and that reason was to get her business started. It didn’t matter what Chet and Gina did. She didn’t care.
Liar.
Gina’s rants didn’t have an effect on Collette’s impression of Jill as a cook, so why should Jill listen to Gina’s rants about herself and Chet? Jill needed time to absorb tonight and the new people she’d met. She had learned long ago to trust her instincts, and they yelled out for her not to trust Gina.
He held out his hand. “Come sit with me. We had a long night and I’m sure we could both use some downtime.”
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